Recognizing the Signs of Caregiver Burnout

Caregiver in Holmdel Township NJ

You were realistic and honest with yourself at the beginning of your care journey with your aging parent. You knew that you were going to experience a level of stress and that stepping into the role of being her primary caregiver was going to stretch you emotionally, mentally, and physically.

You felt like you were fully prepared for the challenges of being a caregiver, and when you started to notice that you were experiencing stress, you were not surprised by it. You accepted the stress as part of this chapter in your life and started looking for ways that you could manage it and reduce it.

For several weeks you took two days off a week and allowed a home care provider to come in and handle some sensitive care tasks such as bathing your parent. You took this time to relax, reconnect with yourself and your partner, and spend quality time with your children. The routine helped you feel less stress and you felt like you were in complete control.

After a few weeks your parent asked you to take on a few more tasks for her, citing that you have those two days off so you should be able to run the errands that your sibling used to handle now that he has complained that he has too much else to do. You started dedicating most of one of your days off to these tasks.

Another couple of weeks later your parent told you that you were going to have to stay with her every day now because she did not like her home care provider and she told her to not come back. You were upset, but you decided it would be less hassle to just go back to being with her every day than it would to try to find another care provider. Of course, this means that you are back to being with her every day and having to fit in all of her errands.

Now that it has been a few weeks of that you are feeling exhausted all the time, but are not able to sleep. You no longer even want to see your friends and the time that you spend with your family is strained and uncomfortable. You do not want to read your favorite books or watch your favorite shows to relax anymore. You have a sense that nothing you do is enough and that it does not really matter how hard you work or how much you do because you will never be able to make a positive difference.

If this sounds familiar, you have made the transition from caregiver stress to caregiver burnout. Stress is when you feel overwhelmed by how much you are doing and how much you still need to do. Burnout is when you simply do not have anything left and you cannot imagine continuing. This can be an extremely dangerous issue in your caregiver journey, leaving you exhausted, physically drained, more vulnerable to infection and illness, and even more prone to suicidal thoughts and actions. If you start to feel that you are experiencing burnout, seek support and assistance immediately. You need to take a break and allow yourself to recover so that your wellbeing, and the quality of the care that you give your parents, is not completely lost.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in Holmdel Township, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 1-800-781-7435 or 732-566-1112.

 

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642?pg=2